Everyone knows about the California Gold Rush – the massive migration of fortune seekers to the hills of the former Spanish colony in the late 1840s and 1850s. During the same period, however, there was another rush to California with a more lasting effect – farmers seeking fertile land and a mild climate. Those included […]
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem was once a very different place. Before levees and dams, the rivers and streams that flowed through the Central Valley into the San Francisco Bay swelled and shrank with the seasons. Huge, shallow floodplains warmed by the sun mingled with icy mountain snowmelt to create a habitat rich with microscopic […]
As drought-stricken residents of Los Angeles’s hottest neighborhoods replace thirsty lawns with native plants, pavers and bare soil, new research has shown how their local climates could begin tipping back in the direction of their desert-like origins. In a region beset this year by drought and powerful heat waves, the widespread adoption of drought-proof landscaping […]
Offering a ray of hope in the struggle to save a tiny fish enmeshed in California’s water disputes, state officials say they have found a way to move around river water to produce more food for hungry or starving Delta smelt. The endangered fish, at record low numbers, has been hurt by a long-term decline […]
California’s top water guzzlers — the people who use tens of thousands of gallons more than their neighbors to keep lawns bright green during serious droughts — could soon be hit with higher water bills and their names made public if the drought continues. A law signed late Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown requires retail […]
With the drought easing in parts of California, this year’s almond harvest is shaping up to be a record haul for the state that could help its growers crack the nut on more sales. The harvest underway in California’s San Joaquin Valley is expected to result in an estimated 2.05 billion pounds of almonds this season, […]
OPINION: Agriculture Must Evolve With Changing Fortunes, Rules
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /Merced-Sun Starby Dan WaltersEveryone knows about the California Gold Rush – the massive migration of fortune seekers to the hills of the former Spanish colony in the late 1840s and 1850s. During the same period, however, there was another rush to California with a more lasting effect – farmers seeking fertile land and a mild climate. Those included […]
Project Aims to Feed Delta Smelt – ‘They’re Starving to Death’
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan SabalowThe Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem was once a very different place. Before levees and dams, the rivers and streams that flowed through the Central Valley into the San Francisco Bay swelled and shrank with the seasons. Huge, shallow floodplains warmed by the sun mingled with icy mountain snowmelt to create a habitat rich with microscopic […]
Landscaping for Drought Could Make Warm Nights Cooler
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /KQED (San Francisco)by John UptonAs drought-stricken residents of Los Angeles’s hottest neighborhoods replace thirsty lawns with native plants, pavers and bare soil, new research has shown how their local climates could begin tipping back in the direction of their desert-like origins. In a region beset this year by drought and powerful heat waves, the widespread adoption of drought-proof landscaping […]
Delta Smelt: California Experiment Offers Hope For Fish Near Extinction
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The San Jose Mercury Newsby Denis CuffOffering a ray of hope in the struggle to save a tiny fish enmeshed in California’s water disputes, state officials say they have found a way to move around river water to produce more food for hungry or starving Delta smelt. The endangered fish, at record low numbers, has been hurt by a long-term decline […]
California Water Guzzlers to Face New Penalties, Possible Public Disclosure of Names
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /The San Jose Mercury Newsby Paul RogersCalifornia’s top water guzzlers — the people who use tens of thousands of gallons more than their neighbors to keep lawns bright green during serious droughts — could soon be hit with higher water bills and their names made public if the drought continues. A law signed late Monday by Gov. Jerry Brown requires retail […]
California Almond Harvest May Break Records Despite Drought
/in California and the U.S. /by Mike Lee /CNBCby Jeff DanielsWith the drought easing in parts of California, this year’s almond harvest is shaping up to be a record haul for the state that could help its growers crack the nut on more sales. The harvest underway in California’s San Joaquin Valley is expected to result in an estimated 2.05 billion pounds of almonds this season, […]